BY FESTUS OKOROMADU
The Ekiti State Independent Power Project has commenced operation with test running as part of efforts at addressing the shortage of electricity supply to the state.
The State Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, who made this known during a facility tour of the power plant station in Ado Ekiti, said that the project which was initiated by the immediate past administration headed by Kayode Fayemi and completed by Governor Biodun Oyebanji, was one in the series of interventions to address inherent challenges in electricity supply to the state.
Olatunbosun stressed that the IPP is currently guaranteeing uninterrupted power supply to the Governor’s Office, Government House, State Secretariat Complex, House of Assembly Complex, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital and streetlights along major roads in the metropolis, among others.
According to him, the development is geared to boost industrialization and socio-economic development as well as enhance good governance noting that doing away with the hitherto ubiquitous generators with attendant huge cost of diesels and environmental pollution used to power public facilities like streetlights and government offices would block a lot of wastages.
Reiterating the commitment of the Biodun Oyebanji administration to the general well-being of people in the State, Olatunbosun noted that the completion of the power plant came in the heels of several other similar interventions including the restoration of electricity at Ekiti East and Gbonyin (Ayekire) Local Government Areas within his one year in office after 15 years of blackout.
The Commissioner added that the tourism hub in Ikogosi, Erijinyan and Ipole-Iloro axis has also been connected back to the national grid through a dedicated feeder line from the 132/33KVA power substation at Omisanjana in Ado Ekiti after almost two decades of power outage.
While stressing the determination to boost the local economy and propel industrial development via robust growth of Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises in the state, Olatunbosun said that government places a high premium on provision of stable supply of electricity across the state to serve as an impetus and a major boost to the growth of SMEs.
He appealed for the continued support of residents for the government’s efforts at developing the state and improving their lot, stressing the need for stakeholders to take ownership of public projects and ensure their safety.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Bolaji Aluko, said that the project had been tested successfully for two weeks with 700kw distributed so far out of the total strength of 3.5megawatts and room for expansion.
Aluko added that the test which covered the Governor’s Office, Government House, State Secretariat Complex, House of Assembly Complex, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital and streetlights along major roads in the metropolis among others, would be expanded to cover private concerns on a willing buyer, willing seller basis.
The Technical Director, Ekiti IPP Limited, Mrs. Odunayo Lanre-Bamodu said the project is fully in operation and it has been working perfectly for about two weeks.
She noted that government facilities across Ado Ekiti are benefiting from the electricity source.
Lanre-Bamodu noted that the project is a metropolitan power source with 11kilometers underground distribution network as well as several substations and Ring Main Units, two generating sets of 1.5MW and 1.25MW, totaling 2.65MW is in place for the power plant, adding that there is room for expansion.
She stressed that the project runs a 24 hours uninterrupted power supply, adding that individuals and corporate organizations can benefit from the plant as there is provision for expansion in future.
She also said that the Ekiti IPP Limited has commenced training and retraining of people to impact and transfer knowledge adding that indigenous youths would benefit tremendously from the project in form of job opportunities and acquisition of knowledge.
